In recent years, ultrasonic diagnosis apparatuses have played an important role in contemporary medical treatment, because they are smaller in scale than other medical image diagnosis apparatuses, such as an X-ray diagnosis apparatus, a CT (Computed Tomography) apparatus, and an MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) apparatus, and can display the movement of an object under examination such as the pulsation of a heart or the movement of a fetus in real time with a simple operation of bringing an ultrasonic probe into contact with the body surface of the object. Further, an ultrasonic diagnosis apparatus is free from the influence of exposure to radiation and portable ultrasonic diagnosis devices have been developed. Such ultrasonic diagnosis apparatuses can be easily used in medical locations such as maternity wards or home medical care services.
An ultrasonic diagnosis apparatus can generate and display ultrasonic images in various modes in real time on the basis of reflected ultrasonic waves received by an ultrasonic probe by scanning the same cross-section with ultrasonic waves with different scanning sequences. Specifically, the ultrasonic diagnosis apparatus can generate and display ultrasonic images in various modes, such as a B-mode image, a color Doppler image, a contrast-enhanced image using an ultrasonic contrast agent, and an image in which a special target (for example, a calcified area) is highlighted by a filtering process in real time.
The ultrasonic diagnosis apparatus has a function of displaying ultrasonic images in two modes obtained by imaging the same cross-section in parallel, i.e., a twin-view display. FIG. 12 is a diagram illustrating the twin-view display.
For example, as shown in the left part of FIG. 12, an operator inputs a twin-view display request for a color Doppler image and a B-mode image when the ultrasonic diagnosis apparatus displays only a color Doppler image (single display). In this case, the ultrasonic diagnosis apparatus displays images in two modes with the same scale (display enlargement rate) as the single display. For example, the ultrasonic diagnosis apparatus trims the color Doppler image in the single display by the use of the rectangle indicated in the left part of FIG. 12. As shown in the right part of FIG. 12, the ultrasonic diagnosis apparatus then displays the trimmed color Doppler image and a B-mode image in the same range as the trimmed color Doppler image.
The ultrasonic diagnosis apparatus is widely used for performing a puncturing operation, such as a vital histological examination or a radio frequency ablation (RFA) treatment, because it can display ultrasonic images in real time. For example, when tissue collection is made for the vital histological examination, a doctor punctures a body with a puncture needle and collects the tissue, while checking a target lesion in real time by use of an ultrasonic image. When the RFA is performed, the doctor punctures a lesion site with a puncture needle while checking the target lesion by use of an ultrasonic image in real time, and then emits radio waves from the puncture needle.
In recent years, an attachment, such as a puncture adapter, that can be detachably attached to an ultrasonic probe has been developed so as to allow insertion of a puncture needle at a predetermined angle and position at the time of performing a puncturing operation. An ultrasonic diagnosis apparatus that displays an ultrasonic image along with a line (puncture guideline) through which the puncture needle passes so as to overlap with each other by the use of the information of the puncture adapter has been developed. Accordingly, an operator can determine the position of an ultrasonic probe at the time of inserting a puncture needle on the basis of the positional relation between the puncture guideline and a target site.
The puncturing operation may be performed with reference to an ultrasonic image in one of the above-mentioned different modes, in addition to the B-mode image. For example, when it is necessary to check whether a puncture needle is not inserted into blood vessels, an operator performs the puncturing operation with reference to a color Doppler image. For example, when an operator intends to collect tissue from a suspected site of a liver tumor, the operator performs the puncturing operation with reference to a contrast-enhanced image. When the operator intends to collect tissue from a calcified site, the operator performs the puncturing operation with reference to an image in a calcification-highlighted display mode.
Accordingly, an operator typically performs a puncturing operation with reference to a B-mode image and an ultrasonic image in another mode through the use of a twin-view display (parallel display).